"The American Experience" LBJ: Part 1 - Beautiful Texas (1991)

Director:

David Grubin

TV Series:

"The American Experience" (1987)

Original Air Date:

30 September 1991 (Season 4, Episode 1)

Genre:

Documentary | History

Plot:

Plot Keywords:

U.S. President | Character Name In Title | USA | Anthology | Public Media

Cast

David McCullough	...	Narrator
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Joe Cervetto	...	Himself / Christopher Columbus (archive footage)
John Connally	...	Himself (also archive footage)
Robert Dallek	...	Himself
Homer Dean	...	Himself
Ronnie Dugger	...	Himself
Lewis Gould	...	Himself
Lady Bird Johnson	...	Herself (also archive footage)
Luci Baines Johnson	...	Herself (archive footage)
Lyndon Johnson	...	Himself (archive footage)
Wilbert Lee O'Daniel	...	Himself (archive footage)
James Jarrell Pickle	...	Himself
Lynda Bird Johnson Robb	...	Herself (archive footage)
Franklin D. Roosevelt	...	Himself (archive footage) (as Franklin Delano Roosevelt)
Coke Robert Stevenson	...	Himself (archive footage)

Directed by
David Grubin

Produced by
Hillary Dann	....	associate producer
Margaret Drain	....	executive producer
Chana Gazit	....	senior producer
David Grubin	....	executive producer
Larry LeCain	....	field producer
Bob M. McCausland	....	field producer
Susan Mottau	....	coordinating producer
Chas Norton	....	field producer
Laura Jean Ozment	....	series associate producer
Patricia P. Perini	....	executive producer
Mark Samels	....	senior producer
Sam Sills	....	associate producer
Miriam Zimmerman	....	producer

Original Music by
Michael Bacon

Cinematography by
William McCullough

Film Editing by
Geof Bartz
Thomas Haneke

Production Design by
Alison Kennedy		(series designer)
Chris Pullman		(series designer)

Production Management
Suzanne Dooley	....	unit manager
Ron Hershey	....	post-production supervisor
Christine Larson	....	unit manager
Deborah Sublett	....	unit manager

Sound Department
Frances Curiazza	....	assistant sound editor
Dan Edelstein	....	sound editor
Donald Klocek	....	sound editor
Peter Page	....	sound re-recording mixer
Roger Phenix	....	sound
Amy Seplin	....	assistant sound editor

Camera and Electrical Department
Don Grissom	....	assistant camera
Ned Hallick	....	gaffer
Peter Hawkins	....	assistant camera (as Peter R. Hawkins)
Scott Ramsey	....	lighting technician
Brett Wiley	....	assistant camera

Animation Department
Rob Issen	....	photo animator
Chris Kogler	....	photo animator

Editorial Department
Frank Capria	....	post-production editor
Nancy Beth Graydon	....	assistant editor
Ron Hershey	....	assistant editor
Doug Martin	....	on-line editor
Sheila Moloney	....	apprentice editor
Marcelle Pecot	....	assistant editor
Amy Seplin	....	assistant editor
Peter Stader	....	apprentice editor
Mark Steele	....	on-line editor
David Vinik	....	editor: video

Music Department
Michael Bacon	....	musical score adaptation
Charles Kuskin	....	music theme

Other crew
Michael Azevedo	....	interactive media
Johanna Baker	....	publicist
Maureen Barden	....	production coordinator
Susan Brignoli	....	production assistant
James MacGregor Burns	....	advisor
Martin Carr	....	development
Diana Claitor	....	photo researcher
Sara Clark	....	photo researcher
Deanna Collingwood	....	contract coordinator
Judy Crichton	....	executive consultant
Robert Dallek	....	advisor
Danielle Dell'Olio	....	interactive media
Robert A. Divine	....	advisor
Jeannine Dominy	....	controller
Nancy Farrell	....	project administrator
Dana Fox	....	production executive
Doris Kearns Goodwin	....	advisor
Liliana Gruz	....	location coordinator
Lisa Kleypas	....	location coordinator
Stan Matthews	....	development
Jessica L. Narowlansky	....	rights coordinator
Daphne B. Noyes	....	publicist
Bill Nye	....	production assistant
Lorena Parlee	....	researcher
Herbert S. Parmet	....	advisor
Michal Regunberg	....	development
Deborah Ricketts	....	researcher
Helen R. Russell	....	project administrator
Adam Schenk	....	researcher
Debra Skriba	....	development
Chuck Smith	....	researcher
Vincent J. Straggas	....	on-air promotion
Kate Tapley	....	researcher
Joseph Tovares	....	series editor
Rick Tracy	....	business manager

Thanks
E. Philip Scott	....	thanks

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Rocky Collins		multiple episodes
Henry Hampton		creator

Produced by
Rocky Collins	....	producer (multiple episodes)

Sound Department
Doug Madick	....	foley artist (multiple episodes)

Production Companies

• David Grubin Productions

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Company:

David Grubin Productions

Very well done...but oddly missing important details of his early life.

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

This biography of Lyndon Johnson isn't exactly complete. While it focuses strongly on his political life, MANY important parts of his early life are oddly omitted. I am no expert of Johnson, but I recognized that they missed two interesting things (and probably many more, since his life up to about age 25 was vague in this film). First, after completing college, he was a school teacher and principal at a school for Mexican-Americans--a VERY interesting pedigree that might help insight into his later work for civil rights. Second, the film jumped from 1941 to 1948--completely omitting WWII. Johnson was an officer in the US Navy and was an important liaison. He also received a silver star citation under VERY suspicious circumstances considering he really wasn't exposed to much action and those around him were undecorated. While perhaps they didn't have a lot of time to devote to them, not mentioning them at all was just odd.

Instead, the film follows the political manoeuvrings of Johnson. He apparently was a VERY political man--a guy whose number one goal seemed to be political power and whose core beliefs were VERY malleable to say the least. He campaigned as a New Deal liberal--practically a socialist. And, he later campaigned as a conservative Southern Democrat!! And later, he championed the important civil rights legislation of the 1960s! Talk about running a gamut!

This film is divided into two main parts. Part one covers his career up to his assuming the presidency after the assassination of John Kennedy. Beginning with his winning a seat in the House of Representatives in the 1930s, he worked his way up to the Senate (after losing his first attempt) and ultimately to the vice presidency and presidency. Along the way, he was the master arm-twister--an old fashioned politician who knew how to use political muscle and was the master of the deal. His skills as a politician are the main focus of this episode. In this regard, the documentary is first-rate. It provides insight into his life in politics and seems to indicate there really wasn't a life outside of it, as Johnson was always ON--and had no interest in books, hobbies or anything other than his all-consuming job.

In this second portion, Johnson has just become president and details his VERY active agenda. Three main themes are explored: the civil rights movement, the Great Society and his bringing US combat troops into the Vietnam War.

His efforts getting the Civil Rights Acts enacted is the high point of his presidency. These occurred very early into his administration and marked a HUGE change in Johnson's public actions on behalf of civil rights. Early in his career, he aligned himself with the Dixiecrats--a group of Southern politicians who opposed ANY changes in the status quo and who hated the mention of civil rights for blacks. Now, he did an about-face and with his force of personality was able to push for these much needed laws.

Johnson's 'Great Society' consisted of various laws that he championed to make life better for America's poor. Spending for social programs greatly increased and Johnson promised an end to poverty. Oddly, the program really didn't explore this further--and didn't discuss the rather dubious benefits, high costs and huge increase in the scope of government with this well-intended program. HOWEVER, hold on--this will be addressed in the second episode.

The vast majority of the show centered on Vietnam. The film took a very pragmatic and jaded view of Johnson sending combat troops into this war. It seemed to say that Johnson's main reason was to help win the 1964 election--a way to seem tough on communism and out-flank his opponent, Barry Goldwater. So, tens of thousands of dead soldiers and millions of dead Vietnamese to help re-elect the guy?! And, while it helped him to win the election, it killed his political career once the war escalated further.

It's really hard to understand Johnson. In some ways he's incredibly decent. You can't ignore his work for civil rights and while the Great Society was, in hindsight, a very mixed bag, it's intentions were good. But the war...how can this be reconciled with these other humanitarian gestures? And, I am sure, many felt confused by this odd dichotomy. A great man and a horrible man rolled into one.

Overall, a very good but imperfect biography. I guess I am just expecting too much, as a film as complete as I'd want it to be would be a heck of a lot longer!